Well, I've managed to totally check out the 105 Ammo Can and get back with you concerning my final feelings about the Amplifier. 1st off, let me start by saying I was so impressed with this little Tone Machine I named it my Lil' Vicky! That's Right! My Little Vicky! Mark, I am totally blown away by the Tone I can Dial out of this Little Compact Lightweight Amplifier Package. I have tried all kinds of different Amps claiming to be able to get that Killer Tone at Volumes no greater than a whisper. Well, I spent allot of money and wound up with nothing in the end. NOTHING! It was very FRUSTRATING! I didn't have a problem getting the other Amps to emit Low Volume Play...it's just that the Low Volume Plays Tone was Brittle and Awful! Even with most of the other Amplifiers , they didn't even sound good turned up, much less down! Pitiful Sound!
Mark, this brings me to my Lil' Vicky! I can plug in my Collings 360, my Lollar loaded Strat, or my Lollar "Charlie Christian Tele" and play at volumes no greater than a whisper (with my wife asleep in the next room!) and let me tell you the TONE is fantastic and more importantly... "I DISTURB NO ONE!" The Tonal Spectrum is Nice and FULL, not Spiky and Brittle. The Tone has a Great Full Bass Quality and beautiful Gleaming, Ringing Highs! It's all there Mark! It really feels and sounds like I'm playing through my Regal II with the volume on #1 but I retain all the wonderful Crunch and Warmth the Amplifier provides at higher Volume Settings. Symphonic Tone! It's all there! Mark, this is something I have never before been able to find in any Amplifier I've looked at, none of them. How did you do it? Mark, you are no doubt a real Genus in every sense of the word. This Victoria 105 Ammo Can is Great for 1. The Recording Studio 2. For the Gig pushing 2-12" Celestion Green Backs and 3.The bedroom with the Ole Lady asleep in the bed next to you while you're just jamming away! She's Snoring! Mark, I kid you not...these 2 little Bottled EL-84s put out some Classic Rock & Blues Tone Man! If I want Volume...it's GOT IT! Mark, Thank you so much for another Great Victoria! What a Clever Idea!
Doc
Dear Sirs:
I was hours away from purchasing a Fender 57 Deluxe reissue when I spotted one of your tweed 20112 s/n 4059 for sale on ebay. After looking at your web page, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the 20112. I am just writing to let you know that I am in tonal nirvana. You guys make one hell of an amp. The only true issue that I have at this point is that I find myself sometimes just strumming chords over and over again just to listen to the phenomenal tonal harmonics rather than working on my skills. Thank you for putting out such a great product! May you keep providing the music world with the dedication and quality that I have witnessed in your amp.
Very Respectfully,
Jim MillerMark,
This Regal II is Unexplainable! How did you get an Amplifier to sound so Good! It just follows your lead! Everything a Guitar Player needs is right here in a Small and Light Package! Mark, I completely understand why you Love the Regal so much! (IS THERE AN AMPLIFIER THAT COMPETES?) I Kinda doubt it!
Jesus, what a Tube Amplifier!
I sure can't wait to hear the Tele through the Regal II
Absolutely, the Regal possesses the Tone I've been hearing in my head and wanted for so very long... Just think, you poor guy! I'm going to be thanking you the rest of my life! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks,
Doc
Mark,
Bought my Regal II about two years ago from the guys in Highland Park. Haven't gigged in the past two years either (after 30 some years of pretty steady week-end work).
Last night I did a gig with an old band of mine at a house party. The amp totally sang. Two 6V6s volume around 8 and I was in heaven. I've liked this amp a lot since I got it. I just found out for real how cool it is. Also, know that this is compared to a genuine vintage 64 Twin I've used since the late 80s (which I'm not sure I need anymore but I'm gonna keep it anyways). This also the first single speaker amp I've ever owned that doesn't, to my ear, sound like a single speaker amp. It's got all the juice, the warmth and complexity I could ever need.
Wanted to let you know how pleased I am with your creation.
Jim Simmons
barely known guitarist
marquette michigan
Hello, my name is Bob Margolin, and I am an electric Blues guitar player. I've won the Blues Music Award for guitar twice, including currently in 2008. In the '70s, I played guitar in Muddy Waters' band. Tone is a large part of my life. I was intrigued to hear about the Victoria Regal amplifier because I know that there is musical magic in single-ended amplification. I was further impressed that the Regal can use one or two power tubes, even mixed-or-matched, to further hone tone. And most of all, I've been using Victoria amplifiers since the company started and I owe them a share of the compliments I've gotten on my tone since 1994.
In 2006, I borrowed a Regal to record six songs on Koko Taylor's latest album, Old School. I knew that after the session, I would have to use the money I made to buy the Regal that I played. It is loud enough for medium-volume pro stage performance or quickly adapted to low-volume maximum-tone studio work. The Regal II is even more versatile for usable stage volume.
After two years of using a Regal on hundreds of gigs and dozens of recorded songs, I am the Victoria Regal's bitch. Well, actually there's a lot of romance in it too.
Try your familiar favorite guitar through a Regal and the first note you play will tell you it sounds better than you ever thought it could. Each note is sweet and clear. You'll hear more difference between your pickups than you thought was there. If you crank it for some distortion, it will sing or growl or crunch, depending on your technique and ability to express yourself. I joke that the Regal 'fixes my mistakes' - sometimes I know I flubbed a note, but it comes out of the Regal sounding right anyway. I think this is more than single-ended sweetness and power tube compression, though I can't explain it technically. But I know I sound better on this amp than I ever have, and hearing the tone inspires me to play better. The built-in reverb and tremolo in this simple, dependable circuit sound 'regal' as well. I have not had to replace tubes yet. Sell your pedals, just pack a good cable.
I fly in to a lot of festivals where backline is provided, usually Fender's fine vintage-style small- and medium-size amps. When I come home to my Regal, I find a voice I didn't know I was missing before. Now, I know where home is. We'll live happily ever after.
So it has been a solid 7 months since I got the regal and it has been out to more gigs that I can count, and it seems to be getting better every time I use it. It is just an amazing amp, within a month it had become my only gig/go to recording amp, replacing the stereo setup that I originally bought it for, as I just didn't need anything else. I am still stunned as to how bad it smoked my fender RI bassman and my blackface Bandmaster in every way possible. I realize these amps are completely different animals so a straight comparison is not really fair but when running the regal at 5 watts I had to crank both the bassman and bandmaster to at least 6 just to keep up volume wise, my vicky just sounded so full, were the other two sounded good but ... just did not have "it". The low end that I can achieve out of my strat still staggers me, even my bass player comments on it. So i just wanted to say thanks again and I am loving it. I think I am gonna want another amp very soon , I have been looking at your low powered twin and I am very intrigued. I have been lusting after clean headroom lately. Thank You again.
Sincerely ,
Andrew Foys
Thank you for taking the time from your schedule to answer my questions last week regarding Victoria Amplifiers. Following my recent purchase of a 35310-T, I felt compelled to share the experience I've had at Dave's Guitar Shop in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. As for my background, I'm 45 years old and have been playing guitar since age 10. I'm no virtuoso, but I have been a "weekend warrior" since about age 13. I have a true love for the instrument and the equipment that accompanies this serious hobby. I've owned several vintage Fenders and many Boogies and a wonderful old Supro. My main amplifier up to this point was a great old Twin Reverb loaded with Weber Alnico Chicago's. The trouble is that this amp just got to be a bit much for most of the clubs I play in, so I decided to take the 4-hour drive to Dave's in LaCrosse and perform my own amp "shootout" as it were. Prior to my quest for a new amp, I talked to many people in the industry to focus my interest in what was out there, what sounded great, and what was the best value. Most of my guitar playing friends advised me to go the "Class A boutique" route such as BadCat, Dr. Z, Vox AC-30 and the like. I tried them all, I found the Dr.Z to be the best value with a sound comparable to the rest, but I also love the tweed Fenders. I had enough money saved to afford just about any amp short of a Dumble, so I decided to approach this with an open mind and let my ears be the judge. The people that work at Dave's in LaCrosse are great. They allowed me to take anything I wanted into a backroom. I used my A/B box, an old tube screamer, and a Fulltone FD2 and gave several amps a workout (for almost 2 hours). I tried the Dr.Z Max 38 Senior which came strongly recommended by a buddy of mine, and it sounded good in it's own right. But when I A/B'd it with the 35310-T with the Alnico Jensen's, the sonic bouquet of tone and harmonic's that came from that amp was nothing short of amazing. The most incredible part was that the Dr.Z's reverb was engaged (set at about 3) and I got a more jangly clean transparent reverby sound from the pine cabinet of the Victoria....amazing. The lows were fatter and richer, the highs are more harmonically pleasing to the ear and when humbuckers were used and the treble was turned past 6, there was a real plexi-Marshall vibe. Having owned many nice new and vintage amps in my life, I feel fortunate and even humbled to be able to purchase an instrument of this quality. I truly let my ears be the judge. From the finger-jointed cabinet to the beautiful tweed finish to the point-to-point wiring which is nothing short of a work of art, this amp will never leave my side. Thank you.
Paul Garvey
Suamico, Wisconsin
Gratefully yours,
Craig Lunsford
Thanks, Joe
I'll keep this short because I can't type and play at the same time. I just bought a 20112-T and wow! It sounded great at the shop, but when I got it home and cranked it up a little more... well, I'm astonished too. I read the 50212 review in the September GP, but I've been in the market for a late 60's Deluxe - so I thought I'd check out your 20112-T Anyway, I fell in love. I've never played a real 50's Tweed anything, all I know is that your amp sounds as sweet as anything I've ever heard. You've done a great job; I'll be playing this 20112-T for a long, long time.
Dave R
Laurel, MD 20707
I Can't tell you enough how much I am enjoying my 3x10 Victoria. Comboed with my Don Grosh I know I strive every day to be worthy of this equipment. After 2 years ownership I am loving the amp more and more. It sounded great out of the box, and with age is only getting better. One of my favorite moments: A guitarist friend of mine, Mike, who loves effects was inspecting my Victoria and commented on the excellent, subtle reverb. When I pointed out to him that there was no reverb he laughed in disbelief and began rooting around looking for the reverb control. When he could not find one he actually got angry. "But I can hear it!" Mark, this was a totally "dead: room. What Mike was hearing was the full, warmth and "aliveness" of the amp. I was thinking of going vintage before I bought a Victoria, but as a working musician I didn't want to worry about an amp breaking down. Two years and I have not had a problem with my Victoria yet. Thanks again!
Jay Caputo
Sitka Alaska
I would like to thank you for this great 35115 which I just received through the Los Gatos Guitar Gallery. All your suggestions about the right speaker and tubes were right on. This amp smokes, what a great Tone, and it looks killer too. This amps sound fantastic at any volume level. You know that I own one of your 35310 since almost two year's now, and how much I love it. Which was the reason why I ordered my second Victoria, besides my Reverberato which has the best tremolo I've ever heard. I owned many amps over the past twenty years, but my 35310 is the first amp I like very time I turn it on. Since I never had the chance to compare my 35310 to an old Fender Bandmaster, I didn't know if it nails the "real" tweed tone or not. But I really didn't care either, because I'm in love with this tone. This time I had the pleasure of checking out a few Fender narrow panel Pro's, which made me decide to order a Victoria 35115. My Victoria 35115 definitely nails the tweed tone and I agree with the latest Guitar Player review, I like it better than the old ones. This is for the guys who still think, only the old one's can deliver the real Tweed Tone. Thanks again for the great job on my new 35115, I'm sure this is not the last Victoria that I bought.
Best Regards,
George
I've really got my Reverberato dialed in! I run my guitar into the Reverberato (Tone=4, Level=6, Dwell=6) and the Reverberato into the Bright channel of my 45410-T. Before I got the Reverberato I preferred the 45410's Normal channel; it's darker tone seemed to work better with my Strats, especially the maple-necked '58. But the Reverberato's reverb does wonderful things to the Bright channel. It adds great warmth and depth while retaining the Bright channel's snap. And when I hit the tremolo everyone within listening distance is immediately mesmerized! A great way to create sonic zombies. You really got it right with the Reverberato. I'm able to get great reverb and tremolo while still retaining the pure sound of the 45410 and my guitars.
Best regards,
David
I only intended to sell my backup amp, which no longer thrilled me, and replace it with a no-frills amp that I would enjoy practicing with. I never intended to replace my gigging rig. Well, the review of the Victoria 50212 in Guitar Player intrigued me, but I knew of no Victoria dealers in my area. In fact, I never even heard a Victoria amp, in person. GP was good enough to include your URL in the review, so I looked up your homepage, in the hope that it had a dealer list. Sure enough, it had one, and I found a dealer close enough (Los Gatos Guitar Gallery). They not only had a new 50212 in stock, but also a (barely) used one. I had to see if the glowing review I read was the truth. Well, it was the truth, all right. I couldn't pass on the used Twin. I've owned a bunch of amps over the years -- even a few vintage ones -- but this is the first that screamed "Keeper." This is the sound I have been looking for. So, what's the problem? Now, I'm in the same boat I was in, before. I still have a backup amp that no longer thrills me, though it is not the same backup amp. The dealer also had a new Deluxe, which I had to try. I suspect you'll be able to finish this story, yourself. The end has not yet been written, but it should be obvious. I've read glowing amp reviews, before, and when I tried the amp, I often found myself wondering what the reviewer was listening to. Not this time. That review was right on the money. It is a rare thing, indeed, when I write to a manufacturer to tell him how much I like his product. I literally cannot wait for the opportunity to play through the Twin. I have no idea whether anyone in the clubs we play will ever hear the difference in tone, but they just might hear a difference in the feel. When my tone is on, then I'm on, and with this amp, the tone is on.
Thanks for making a terrific product.
Jim Collins
I recently purchased a Victoria 35310-T amplifier and would like to thank you for producing an amplifier that looks, preforms, and sounds as good or better than a 50's tweed amp. I had long been looking for the tweed sound in something that I could take outside my home, and was presuaded to try your product by the many positive reviews in Guitar Player, etc.. Upon playing and hearing one, I was incredibly pleased to find that somebody finally got it right.
Great job!